Reinhart spengler



(No Model.)

B. SPENGLER.

NEEDLE THREADER No. 471,150. Patnfed MaqpZZ, 1892.

INVENTOR- WITNESSES I Attorney.

u N van: on, MUTMITNO.,WA$KIMTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REINHART SPENGLER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

NEEDLE-TH READER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,150, dated March 22, 1892. Application filed November 3, 1891- Serial No. 410,725. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REINHART SPENGLER, of New .York,in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvelnentin Needle-Th readers; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and eX- act description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices forv carrying the thread into the eye of a needle, and its object is to provide a neat, simple, and effective device, by which the entire operation can be performed with certainty and celerity and wholly by the fingers without the aid of the eye. In particular it is my object to provide a device by which the thread may be pushed through the needle-eye instead of being pulled through by a hook, as heretofore.

To this end the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the application of the device to a needle to be threaded, the device being partly broken away and the needle being shown partly in central section. F ig. 2isa similar view showing the thread as carried into the eye of the needle, and Fig. 3 is an edge view of the device with the needle in cross-section.

A plate A, of suitable size and shape to be grasped readily, is formed with or carries, preferably, two projecting parallel spring ears or guards B 13, adapted to receive the needle between them.

By preference the body or handle of the device is formed of two plates ca, each of which has one of the guardsB B formed in one piece therewith. The two plates at a are closely united, while the guards B B are bent apart slightly. Centrally between the guards is fixed rigidly a thin and narrow tongue 0 of a size to enter freely within the eye D of the needle E. The end of the tongue may be cut square across or inclined inwardly or notched, as at c, to receive the thread, and the tongue is so placed with reference to the plates that the end of the tongue stands clear of the lateral edge of the guards 'while its inner edge is covered by the guards. The tongue may be conveniently held in place by securing its inner end between the plates at a of the body A. The latter is also notched at a point a to furnish a convenient means for holding the thread in place.

In operation the thread is first looped over the edge of the guard beyond the end of the tongue, and may at once be drawn without difficulty against the end of the tongue or the notch therein, and by tightening the thread it is held securely in position without danger of slipping off. The device being then presented to the needle, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with the guards embracing the needle, it is moved up or down until the tongue finds and enters the eye of the needle, as in Fig. 2. The thread may then be grasped between the thumb and forefinger of one hand and held or drawn through the eye while the threader is removed by the other hand.

Though the device is preferably formed with two guards to bring the tongue more certainly into line with the eye regardless of the diameter of the needle, it is obvious that the same result might be secured if the device were provided with but one guard, the tongue and the guard being offset with respect to each other to bring the tongue into line with the eye when the guard is in contact with the side of the needle.

I am aware that needle -threaders have heretofore been devised havinga hook which is to be passed through the eye of the needle, engaged with the threadand then withdrawn, carrying the thread with it through the eye. The shank of such a hook, however, is necessarily very delicate and the consequence is that such books break easily and become useless. I am also aware, that a threader has been devise in which a tongue is employed to push the thread through the eye, it being sought to hold the thread against the end of the tongue by two spring-guards, between which the tongue stands and between which the'thread is placed against the end of the tongue and in the same plane with it. The tongue cannot be much thicker than the thread itself, and the consequence is that the thread is apt to slip from the end of the tongue before'it is pushed through. the eye. My device is intended to remedy the weakness of the class of threaders first referred to while avoiding the annoyance and difficulty incident to the use of the second class. By oftsetting the tongue from the guards so that the end of the tongue stands out from the guards while its inner edge is covered thereby, a notch is formed into which the thread can be drawn readily and held securely. The

whole operation of threading a needle with my device may be accomplished easily, quickly, and with certainty, and Wholly by the fingers without the aid of the eyes.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a needle-threader, the combination, with a body-plate, of a spring-guard, and a tongue carried thereby and offsetwith respect to each other, said tongue having its end adapted to push the thread through the needle-eye and fixed with reference to the guard so that its outer edge stands clear of the lateral edge of the guard, while its inner edge is covered by the guard, wherebyanotch is formed by the end of the tongue and by the guard into which the thread may be drawn and firmly held, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a needle-tln'eadcr, the combination, with a body-plate, of a spring-guard, and a tongue carried thereby and offset with re spect to each other, said tongue having its end placed with reference to the guard, so that its outer edge stands clear of the lateral edge of the guard, whereby a notch is formed by the end of the tongue and by the guard into which the thread may be drawn and firmly held, and said body-plate having a thread-receiving notch on its edge opposite said guard, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a needle-threader, the combination, with a body-plate, of two parallel guards carried thereby, and a tongue fixedcentrally between said guards and having its end adapted to push the thread through the needle-eye, and so placed with reference to the guards as that it stands clear of the lateral edge of the guards, and its inner edge is covered by the guards, whereby a notch is formed by the end of the tongue and by the guard into which the thread may be drawn and firmly held, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REINHART SIENGLER.

IVitnesses:

A. N. JEsnEnA, A. WIDDER. 

